england v australia

Online bookmaker Paddy Power are running a great rugby league betting promotion for the final of the 2011 Four Nations on Saturday night. England v Australia is what we have to look at for the final of tournament, which is being played at Elland Road. It was the Kangaroos who came out on top in the group stage of the Four Nations, beating out England, not only by power and pace, but with the help of a few referee decisions going their way. But the modern, dynamic English side, which is definitely on the right track in being able to compete with the best in the world (their victory over New Zealand proving that) showed enough in the group meeting against the Kangaroos that they are ready to cause an upset. So, can England pull off the big one and beat the Kangaroos to the Four Nations title? There is a lot of belief in the camp that they can do, and Paddy Power have a great online betting promotion running for the big finale.

If England do beat Australia in the final of the Four Nations, then the bookie will refund all losing Tryscorer and Winning Margin Bets placed on the match. This is some great coverage because there is good value in the First Tryscorer market with the likes of Kangaroos trio Akuila Uate, Greg Inglis and Josh Morris all floating around at 10/1 at the moment. So you can fetch some good value, and England’s young full back star Sam Tomkins, who is the tournament’s top Tryscorer can be taken at 12/1.

When the two sides met in the group stage, Australia ran out 36-20 winners against England, and that is an Australia 13+ in the Winning Margin is favourite price in the market at 10/11. If you think that England are either going to keep the margin narrow you take Australia 1-12 points at 2/1 or if you think that England are going to edge it, then a 1-12 point winning margin for England is priced at 4/1 for the home side. Which is ever so slightly better value than just backing England outright winner market. So the two old rivals go head to head again at Elland Road. Will the cold Leeds night suit England better? England look full of running and are not afraid to get the ball wide and attack space. England v Australia Four Nations betting should be a classic and taking the insurance of getting your lost stakes refunded on your Tryscorer and Winning Margin bets at Paddy Power if England win, makes the bookie a great place to head to for your rugby league betting.

England v Australia Four Nations Final Betting Odds at Paddy Power
Australia 1/5, Draw 25/1, England 7/2

The 2011 Four Nations Rugby League final at Elland Road, Leeds on Saturday, November 19th gives us some Australia v England betting to look at. With England racking up wins over Wales and New Zealand in the group stage, they followed Australia through to the final. The Aussies managed to run up three wins on the trot, pretty much as expected really, and now we can look forward to a real old rivalry being renewed for the final of the 2011 Four Nations. Australia ran out 36-20 winners when the two nations met in the group stage, but there was enough on England to suggest that they can spring a surprise, if they can just find a way to contain the lightening quick Australian attack. England can also look at some dodgy decisions not going their way in that match, because with just a little more luck, the score line could have been a lot closer. Does that mean England will this time around get the rub of the green in the match? These things have a way of coming around. But you have to go all the way back to 1995 to find the last time that England recorded a win over the Kangaroos. That was in the World Cup, but there is the feeling of a resurgence in the English game. They played so very well in scoring a crucial victory over the defending Four Nations champions New Zealand in the group, and that has to be a big platform to build up for England at Elland Road.

We have slowly seen a trend of English players heading down to the NRL to play in arguably the best Rugby Union domestic league in the world, and that has naturally had a knock on effect back in the international set up, as England look to be more expansive. England certainly are not afraid of tossing the ball out wide, and that will be a big key for them, because they have pace. Looking at the tournament so far, England really look as if they have the tools to run out title winners. Yes, it is against the odds, it certainly was at the start of the season, but there is a bit of life in England v Australia Four Nations Rugby League betting. The star of England’s show has definitely been young 22 year old full back Sam Tomkins, who, with his five tries so far, is the tournament’s top try scorer. If England need to turn to a bit of maverick magic, then they need  to get Tomkins on the ball, because he already showed that he can expose the Australia defence in the group match. But England will have to watch out for Tony Williams, the massive back rower who has the ability to single handedly smash a whole team’s defence. Williams is an absolute monster, with incredible strength, and you wouldn’t want to be in his way when he’s built up a head of steam.

So England are on the rise. They aren’t the complete picture yet, certainly not as accomplished as Australia area, but they are gutsy, confident and look ready to play their part in a fascinating final. England v Australia Four Nations Rugby League betting looks set to be a firecracker. Yes, Australia, who really set the standards in the game, will start the Final as favourites at 1/4 with SkyBet, but England at 4/1 with Ladbrokes are natural value. Remember that this is going to be a cold night in Leeds with the kick off at 6pm late into November. Will the conditions and settings be right for England to pull off one major shock? This is only the third edition of the Four Nations (which upgraded from the Tri Nations in which Great Britain took part) with Australia winning in 2009 and New Zealand winning the title in 2010.

England v Australia Rugby League Betting Odds
Australia to win: 1/4 at SkyBet
Draw: 25/1 at Bet365
England to win: 4/1 at Ladbrokes

Online bookmaker Paddy Power are running a superb rugby betting promotion for the Final of the Four Nations. If England win the Final, then Paddy Power will refund all losing Tryscorer and Winning Margin bets on the match. That means you can dip in and take a look at some great value in those markets with this bit of coverage. Online bookmaker Paddy Power offer a free £50 bet as a welcome bonus for new customers registering an account. The bookie will match the value of your first bet on a new account as free bet, up to the value of £50, giving you some good free betting cash to enjoy!

The Ashes are edging ever nearer and nearer as the First Test starts on Thursday, November 25th and the players are ready, and so should your cricket betting decisions be. England captain Andrew Strauss will lead the charge for the visitors Down Under as they look to win (or at least draw) a historic series that would see them retain the coveted Ashes. This is the big cricket rivalry and trying to win in Australia is one immense challenge for any Test nation. Can the positive England carry through good form and upset the rattled Aussies who are out of form? Here is a betting guide to the Ashes Series Betting, First Test Betting and some cricket betting tips for you.

Australia v England Series Winner Tip

Bookie Favourite: Australia 11/10 at Stan James
This is the main fixed odds outright market for the Ashes. You may be surprised to see Australia as favourites, because no doubt you will have seen in the media how they are lacking form, cohesion, and just how well England have been playing all year. You will have seen how England are looking good in their warm up matches. However, Australia do not lose many Test Matches at home. Their record in Test Matches this year tells a very good picture to illustrate this. In the summer, Australia drew a series with Pakistan 1-1 in England. They then lost 2-0 against India, in India. However, prior to that, at the start of the year, they beat Pakistan 2-0, and New Zealand 2-0 (in New Zealand). Australia when they are on their own continent are a lot stronger than they are on their travels. Lets add some more figures to this. In 371 Test Matches on their home turf, Australia have won a staggering 210 of them. They have only lost 90 matches at home, as the other 71 can be accounted for as Draws. England’s actual record in Australia is Played 165, Won 54, Lost 85 and Drawn 26. Matches played and of those, just 54 have been won by England. That is why the bookies have Australia at the short odds. Winning Down Under is no easy thing. However, England may never get a better chance as they have now to show up the Aussies in their own back yard, for a long time. England do have momentum.
Online-Betting Tip: England 9/5 at William Hill

Series Correct Score Tip:

Bookie Favourite: Draw 2-2 for 13/2 at BetFred
It has been a long time since England won an Ashes series in Australia. Over twenty years in fact and that equates to five straight losses in a row. However there is a bigger stat which is worth looking at here, as in those five straight losses Down Under, England have barely made a mark in the win column of the Test Matches played in the series. They haven’t just lost Down Under, they have been obliterated. In those twenty five matches played since England last won an Ashes Series in Australia, England have only won three of them. That’s it. Add to that four drawn matches and you see just how much they have struggled to win a Test Match in Australia. That is the momentous task which is facing Captain Andrew Strauss as he leads his side out. Those figures point to England not posting a high total of wins this time around, and two should be around the right figure, as England are actually playing well at the moment. It is unlikely more wins that that will come, and of course, two wins may just be enough to hold onto the Ashes. Because there is not much to chose between England and Australia at the moment for several reasons, Bookies are leaning towards a drawn series. However, this really is England’s best chance in such a long time, and it is worth having a punt on them to win, simply for value. The score line when England last won Down Under? 2-1
Online-Betting Tip: England 2-1 for 9/1 at Bet365

Top England Batsman Betting Tip

Bookie Favourite: 4/1 at William Hill
A good place to start here is by looking at the batting averages of the current England players. This should give you some good guidelines. The familiar names are all at the top of the charts though, with Kevin Pietersen right up there with an average of 47.80 and he is followed up by Andrew Strauss with a solid 43.11 batting average. Topping the list of England Batsmen with the best batting average is actually Jonathan Trott who has a batting average of 55 runs in his thirteen international Test Matches. Trott is actually a very mentally strong player, and could put up some important numbers Down Under, because he is aggressive off the front foot. However, the two stand out names on the list versus Australia are Andrew Strauss and Kevin Pietersen. They have faced the Aussies plenty of times and posted good numbers where others have failed. Pietersen is a shadow of his former self at the moment, and there is no telling what England are going to get from him, or how much he is going to be used. He is not full of confidence. Captain Andrew Strauss is, and he has to be looked at here. Paul Collingwood is reliable, steady and usually good for runs, and averages 35 against the Aussies. Would go with Andrew Strauss, but one outside tip would be Ian Bell. Here is a potential match winner who has matured immensely. There is no-one in batting line up as technically sound as him, and if he gets off to a good start, could make for a great tip.
Online-Betting Tip: Andrew Strauss 4/1 at William Hill, Ian Bell 6/1 at Boylesports

Top England Bowler Betting Tip

Bookie Favourite: Graeme Swann 5/4 at BetFred
The field is a bit narrower on this one and it is no surprise that Swann is out at the shortest odds. However, an important factor to remember, is that Aussie tracks are harder and flatter, and historically visiting England spin bowlers have not had much success Down Under. However, Swann could play a vital role and he will get in amongst the wickets. Will it be enough though? Oversees bowlers have had a tougher time in Australia than any other country. You have the familiar faces of Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson who will bear the brunt of the front line bowling duties and the other place in the attack will be fought out between Steven Finn, Chris Tremlett and Tim Bresnan. After coming into the Test side fairly recent, one tip has to be Steven Finn. He should be well suited to the wickets in Australia, as they should be right for his style and aggression. He is the Dark Horse of the England team and a potential match winner. Could be the extra pace and bounce that give England an edge. As Broad and Anderson will do good work, but will naturally have to work a little harder for their wickets than they would in the conditions in England, we are going with the outside bet.
Online-Betting tip: Steven Finn 6/1 at 888Sport

Top England Born Series Batsman Betting Tip

Bookie Favourite: Alastair Cook 13/8 at Paddy Power
Of course this issue was going to raise its head at some point, with South African born players gracing the current England side. Andrew Strauss of course leads the way as captain, but Jonathon Trott, Matt Prior and of course Kevin Pietersen are all in the market. Opener Alastair Cook is the favourite in this market, but he is struggling for form and only has an average of 26.21 runs against Australia. Paul Collingwood however has an average of 35 runs against the Aussies and as he is priced at 2/1 makes a nice little flutter in this market.
Online-Betting Tip: Paul Collingwood 2/1 at Paddy Power

Australia v England First Test Betting Odds

Australia to win: 5/4 at William Hill
Draw: 31/30 at Bet365
England to win: 2/1 at BetFred

This is it. This is where it all begins. There’s no disguising the personal excitement here, and just as the stats of history are somewhat against England, there is some good news down the line. More on that in a moment, but the Gabba in Brisbane has not been a happy hunting ground for England, having failed to win there in the last twenty four years. This is the important Test, as what happens here really could have a major impact on the rest of the series. England need a fast start and they need to strike while the iron is hot. There is no question about that. England are the form team going into the Ashes, even though Australia still edge the favourites role in betting. If England can claim a famous victory at the Gabba, then it will set them up for a strong series because the Aussies will be even more rattled than they appear to be now. An England win in the first Test, really would heap pressure on Ricky Ponting and that could make England task a lot easier throughout the series. If they go in hard at the start, they may just catch the Aussies wanting. They need to silence the crowds. The last thing England want to be doing in Australia is trying to play catch up. They just can’t afford to do that, as Australia play their own conditions very well. If ever home advantage is a factor in a sporting event, then cricket in Australia is probably one of the main ones.

There is a little more history to overcome for England at the Gabba. Remember in the 2006/07 series when Steve Harmison bundled in and bowled the widest of wides you have probably ever seen. That was at the Gabba, and that wayward first ball set the tone for the series, as England were crushed 5-0. Australia have not lost in the last twenty matches at the Gabba, winning 16 and drawing four since 1990 (against all opposition). Worryingly, Australia average almost twice as many runs as all opposition have posted at the Gabba. England though have been warming up well this time though, winning two of their three matches. The batting looks in decent nick, and there is plenty of strength in depth, arguably more so than Australia. While the front line bowlers got to rest a bit, one has to wonder how they will cope in the unforgiving conditions on the Australian wickets. You can forget the 5-0 whitewash, as this is a different England, a more professional, and more clinical. They are also better prepared than they were before. One of the main difference between the two sides at the position of opener though. Australia have a much more consistent opening partnership flow to matches than England, with their opening partnerships average nearly 58 runs, while England’s average for an opening pair is down at 43.40. Two batsmen for England are under a lot of scrutiny. Firstly Alastair Cook looks to be the weak leak, and he hasn’t had a good year. He will get targeted hard by Australia and that is natural. The sooner Cook holds his own, the better England will be. Having a weak link at opener, really isn’t a good thing. Kevin Pietersen is the other man who is struggling. This is not the same Kevin Pietersen England fans have known and loved for so long. Apparently the Australians have brought in left arm spinner Xavier Doherty to target KP. Most of Pietersen’s major downfalls have been against left arm spin, but this could all be mind games, as Doherty he is really unproven at international level, and his first class record really is nothing to brag about. It may be a strange decision, as they have used him to replace the established Nathan Hauritz. On the Australian batting front, Michael Clarke has been passed fit to play, after they were waiting on news of his back injury.

Positively England – Reasons to be hopeful

• The Gabba is due to be overcast. You can hear the England bowlers cheering already. Why England are so strong at home is that they favour swing bowling and for that you don’t want to see clear blue skies and hot weather. You want a little humidity there, which comes from an overcast sky. So that could have a huge factor in helping England off to a flier. The Kookaburra ball stops swinging after a much shorter time than balls England will have been used to, so they need to grab every advantage they can.
• England hold a higher ranking in the ICC Test rankings than Australia (yes, true!). England are have a better win/loss ratio than Australia do in current Test Matches. Over the past two years of International play, England have won 12 and lost four matches, and Australia have won 12 and lost 6.
• Australia do not appear to have a clear upper hand in bowling. They are not even sure what their best bowling attack is at the moment. With England’s bowlers full of confidence at the moment, it really is an even playing field.
• England have turned 27 out of 86 Test half centuries into full centuries. Australia have converted 24 from 93.
• Stuart Broad is a menace to Ponting and Hussey, and Graeme Swann has had good success over Simon Katich and Marcus North.

BetFred 1st Test Special

There are two great cricket betting specials being run by BetFred for the opening Ashes Test between Australia v England. Firstly, if Paul Collingwood is England’s Top Batsman, or Michael Clarke is Australia’s Top Batsmen in the first innings of this First Test, then BetFred will refund all losing top batsmen bets as free bets! This offer is valid up to £200 and is well worth taking advantage of. Secondly, if you do have a punt on the top batsman market for the Australia v England 1st innings and your player scores a century but doesn’t finish as the top scorer, then BetFred will give you a free bet to the value of your stake, again up to £200. The hugely popular online bookmaker also offers a Free £50 bet for customers opening a new account.

Ashes 2010 Cricket Betting - Australia are making themselves look like outsiders in the run up to the Ashes, as Ricky Ponting captains a 17 man Australian Ashes party. What is unique about this? Well, it’s bigger than the England touring party of sixteen, which have hit Australian soil, keen to defend the Ashes. What this message simply does is say that Australia really do not know what their best side is. They certainly are not a Test Match side in any kind of form at the moment. This year they have drawn a series with Pakistan, lost in England and in India, and England, returning to the scene of a humiliating 5-0 series whitewash, actually start as favorites. Australia’s batting line up has not been as formidable as you would expect from an Aussie side, and with the mix of blowers they have tried, there is a lot of uncertainty around the Australian camp, and even Ponting himself has come under fire. One area in which England could have the upper hand, is in the spin bowling department. Aussie spinner Nathan Hauritz isn’t living up to reputation at the moment, and has been struggling for a while. While spin from the tourists have barely ever made a dent in the Australian batting attack in Ashes series Down Under, this time there is the enigma of Graeme Swann. Could Swann make all the difference this time around? He certainly could be, and although the Aussie tracks are generally flatter, Swann has enough in his artillery to cause massive problems, especially if he can get extra bounce off the harder surface.

This is one area of attack which England should be able to exploit, and won’t have to worry too much about coming back at them. Hauritz probably will get the nod, but Xavier Doherty has been called into the squad nonetheless, just in case Hauritz can’t raise his game when the Australians need him to the most. Steve Smith will be first back up though, and England will be looking at the Australian spin bowling problems and smiling because they have an ace up their own sleeve. While the Australian party will get chopped down in size before the two sides meet in Brisbane on November 25th for the series opener, the squad selection as it stands, really does hint that there could be surprising changes on the cards. Michael Hussey has failed with the bat this year, and his place could really be under threat in the middle order. Australia have drafted in Callum Ferguson and Usman Khawaja, both young batsmen would be thrown to the England lions if they get to make their Ashes debut on home soil. The Australian selectors are still watching players for form and injury, notably Phil Hughes and Michael Clarke. England should also get their first look at pace bowler Doug Bollinger during the series, as he is about the only Aussie bowler with any consistency this year. The bowler hasn’t squared off against England in a Test Match before. There may not be so many familiar Aussies names this year. Ponting, Clarke, Haddin, Hauritz, Hussey, Hilfenhaus, Johnson, Katich, Siddle and Watson pretty much sum them up. Will the Aussies rise to the occasion?

England v Australia A Tour Match – November 17

England to win: 9/4 at Bet365
Draw: 5/4 at Totesport
Australia A: 7/2 at Paddy Power

The thing working against England will be the conditions. The tracks are flatter and harder in Australia, and that doesn’t always suit the England bowling attack. The degree of swing bowling which the likes of Jimmy Anderson produces, is not going to be there for them, so extra work has to be done. That having been said, in their warm up match against South Australia, all four front line bowlers showed immediate signs of being up for the task. Swann took 4 for 68, while Anderson weighed in with 3 for 62, and Steve Finn who could be the big surprise package of the tour, taking 2 for 47. More good news coming out of the match, which ended in a draw, was that Alastair Cook finally found a bit of form, and cracked off a century. There have been serious questions asked of Cook’s place in the team after failing with the bat for most of the year. The worrying thing for England, is that they really don’t have an established back up opener to be able to pull Cook out of the line up. Australia have already made remarks that they are going to be gunning for him, and if ever there was a time to sort out his footwork, then it will be now. England need a big showing from the opener to support captain Andrew Strauss. England are suggesting that their front line bowlers will be rested for their final warm up match in Hobart to play Australia A, starting on November 17th. Following that, the selectors will  have to come up with their final plans, as the two sides head straight for Brisbane and opening clash of the 2010 Ashes series.

England look the more stable of the two nations, and have largely enjoyed a more successful year than their Australian counterparts. Can England retain the Ashes on Australian soil? Whatever the state of the Australian form, teams don’t often go Down Under and walk out with victories. One of the hardest things in world cricket is to win a Test Series in Australia. The tension is building, and the bookmakers are leaning towards Australia wrestling back the little urn. Remember that England only need to draw the series to retain the Ashes.

Australia v England Ashes Outright Betting Odds

Australia to win: 10/11 at Victor Chandler
Draw: 5/1 at Bet365
England to win: 2/1 at SkyBet

Series Correct Score

Draw 2-2: 8/1 at Stan James
Australia 2-1: 8/1 at Ladbrokes
Australia 3-1: 17/2 at Blue Square
England 2-1: 10/1 at Totesport
England 3-1: 12/1 at Bet365
Australia 3-2: 12/1 at Victor Chandler

England to Retain Ashes: 21/20 at ExtraBet
England NOT to retain Ashes: 10/11 at Stan James

England v Australia Rugby Odds – : Aussies look for hattrick at Twickenham

England to win: 6/4 at SportingBet
Draw: 22/1 at Ladbrokes
Australia to win: 4/6 at Blue Square

England v Australia Betting Tip: Australia 1-12 winning margin 7/4 at Bet365

England will be looking to build upon the last success which they had when they turned out against Australia in the summer. That close triumph over the Aussies in their own back yard, really was the first match under Martin Johnson’s reign as England coach that England have shown real potential. Finally there seems to be a bit of optimism blowing through the ranks of English rugby again. Although they went down 16-26 to New Zealand last weekend, there was enough signs that England are fully rebuilding properly. The game could have been a lot different, and England could have genuinely been within three points of the All Blacks going into the last five minutes of the match, but it wasn’t to be. Many have said that the All Blacks simply didn’t play all that well, but perhaps England did enough to make them look average. England will need to come out of the blocks stronger than they did against the Kiwis, because after all the talk of England hitting the ground running in these November series of Rugby Internationals, they simply didn’t and they were chasing the game right from the off. England can take some heart that they crossed the All Blacks try line, something which hasn’t been done very often in the last ten years of them visiting Twickenham. So now attention turns back to the old rivalry of England v Australia, and another mouth watering, bruising encounter is on the cards.

One of the big positives for England, was the mobility of the pack that Johnson has finally assembled. This is the area which has always been the strength of England, and it was the strength which won them the World Cup. However, since that famous Jonny Wilkinson drop goal, the English pack has never been the same. England did manage to dominate in the scrum against the Kiwis, and that is a very good sign for the Australia match, because England generally do have the upper hand there when the two old foes meet. Dylan Hartley, a try scorer last week after a rampaging run gets a starting place after making his big impact from the bench. If they can again assert dominance over the Aussies in the pack, then it will provide a great platform for them to go on and win the game. While much was made of the late rallying by England against the All Blacks, Johnson will probably (and hopefully) be aware that his side are still lacking in certain areas, notably with pace in the back line and perhaps more importantly, some rugby intelligence. Rugby League convert Shontayne Hape simply wasn’t used in the right manner, and they needed to get him running better lines (not his fault) to make an impact by taking the ball into the gain line, and off-loading to others. He is a real threat if used correctly. One of the most disappointing areas for England really was in the midfield, especially defensively. Mike Tindall had his worst game in an England shirt, and if he plays like that again, his inclusion in the starting fifteen could be up for discussion.

But, going back to the positives, once they had settled down, England weren’t afraid. They battled and hung in there, even though they were largely outmatched for pace all over the field. There were huge positives from Chris Ashton and Ben Foden with the ball, and it was their inventiveness and willingness to not just quick which a few more of the players need to adopt. There are signs that this could come together for England, but now having just won one match in six attempts, one wonders how much time Johnson has left in charge. There is a World Cup to be played next year remember. There are always great battles up front when England v Australia fixtures roll around, and this one should be no different. At home, and taking signs from how they performed against the All Blacks, England should go well there, but the danger with Australia, is, as always, that even if their pack doesn’t perform in the scrums, there is just so much talent throughout the rest of the team that they can usually compensate for it. England, at the moment anyway, simply do not have that same luxury. The two nations met in a two match series Down Under in the autumn, and the Aussies really had the upper hand in the first test, and only narrowly missed victory in the second after Matt Giteau missed a penalty (yes, it happens). There is not a great gulf between the two sides (England would actually rise above the Aussies in the world rankings with a win), but on paper, Australia still look the more dangerous of the two teams. This is an Australia which beat the All Blacks prior to landing on British soil for the November series.

Australia aren’t great up front, and that was seen in their victory over Wales. But again, there is main point. The scrummaging wasn’t great but they still had enough in the tank to win. Exactly what they did when they visited Twickenham last year. Oh, and the year before that. Are the Aussies in line to make it a hat trick of disappointments for England fans at Twickenham? Disappointment is something those England fans have had to live with for a while now, as they have seen their side win just two of their last six outings on the Twickenham turf. IN the head to head statistics between the two sides, the leader isn’t too much of a surprise, as the Aussies have a 23-15 upper hand. The problems for England will probably come in midfield again, as they face what is considered to be the best back line in World rugby from Australia. England have to marshal themselves better, play smarter and quicker in those areas, or else they will get overrun, no matter what is going on in the scrums. The Aussies have the ability to keep the ball away from there, and they will get possession, and plenty of it. England need a strong start to try and rattle their antipodean foes out of their rhythm. This is the big rivalry. This is the one that England needs to, and must win if they are going to turn improvement into opportunity.

England v Australia Statistics

Games Played 39
England wins: 15
Australia wins: 23
Draws: 1

Last 5 Head to head
Australia 20, England 21
Australia 27, England 17
England 9, Australia 18
England 14, Australia 28
Australia 10, England 12

Largest winning margin for England: 23-6
Largest winning margin for Australia: 76-0

Average points for England per game v AUS: 14.51
Average points for Australia per game v ENG: 21.51

Average points difference: +7 Australia

The Rugby Union heavyweight contest between England and Australia, appears to be all about the return of hero Jonny Wilkinson. The match at Twickenham on Saturday, starts the series of Autumn Internationals for the home nation. England v Australia usually produces a classic encounter, with all of the players up for the task of taking on their bitter rivals. The Aussies have generally had the upper hand when it comes to the big scrum down, but England have pulled out the wins when it has mattered most. They triumphed in the unforgettable 2003 Rugby World Cup Final, and again at the 2007 World Cup semi quarter final stage. There is hardly a better sight in sport than watching the English pack demolish that of the Green and Gold.

For England v Australia betting advice ahead of Saturday’s game, Australia, despite having a couple of injury problems themselves, should be the stronger of the two nations. This is almost a back to square one mission for England manager Martin Johnson, as he looks to reshape English Rugby from the ground up. There is no better place to start than against one of the best teams in the world. England have been ravaged by injury problems, with up to eight probable starters falling victim to one problem or another. This has paved the way for youngsters to step up and show what they are made of, and put pressure on the more established senior players. This is the enthusiasm that Johnson will be looking for in the test, and they will need to settle quickly and learn to trust each other’s abilities.

The calming presence of Wilkinson is vital. He has beaten Australia the past six times he has actually been fit enough to play. The Aussies most vulnerable spot will come at centre, as Stirling Mortlock and Berrick Barnes, the regular pairing, are both missing. Australia will have Matt Giteau playing though, and that’s enough creativity to keep the England backs on the toes, especially full back Ugo Moyne who will be playing out of position there on Saturday. Last year’s Autumn Internationals were a tale of woe for the English, suffering heavy defeats in all three tests against the Tri Nations sides of Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.

Australia have a good record against England, but this is Twickenham, and it should be a riotous affair. England need to gel quickly and keep good control in the forwards, and build from there. One problem for England in the disappointing six nations earlier this year, was lack of quick ball from the breakdowns, and any creativity whatsoever. Martin Johnson believes that squad is in great mood, and are much better than at the beginning of the year. A good contest for England would be keeping the score to within 5 points, and is a good bet to look for. Australia to win by 1-5 points will fetch 5-1 at Coral

Here are the match prices and interesting bets:

England to win: 15/8 at SportingBet
Draw: 22/1 at ExtraBet
Australia to win: 4/7 at Paddy Power

Australia to win by 1-12 points: 7/4 at Bet365
England to win by 1-10 points: 3/1 at Ladbrokes

Johnny Wilkinson: 17 points or more 13/8 at SkyBet

AUTUM INTERNATIONALS
England v Australia: November 7
England v Argentina: November 14
England v New Zealand: November 21

How Many Games Will England win:
None: 11/2 at Ladbrokes
Exactly 1: 6/4 at Ladbrokes
Exactly 2: 11/8 at Paddy Power
Exactly 3: 12/1 at Paddy Power

Can Australia do it? Even when England pull a decent score out of the bag, the Aussies just stroll along and brush it off like nothing. If the first four defeats were demoralising for Captain Andrew Strauss, then the defeat in the 5th ODI would have been the kick in the pants he would have been hoping to avoid. For all intents and purposes, Strauss looks to be a lonely figure, both in form and in Captaincy. He is in fine form with the bat, and up until the fifth match, he had received no support from the rest of the order at all. But, for once England posted a considerable total batting first, leaving the Aussies with a 300 run chase. What will be the most demoralising point of it all, was that the England bowlers could not defend such a good total and at times the fielding looked lazy and without passion.

It is the end of a long season, but there is still much to play for, least of all pride. There are places up for grabs in the Champions trophy which begins next week, and on the face of it, there are only a handful of players who look ready to take on the challenge. People can keep musing on the fact that they are missing Freddie Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen, and of course they are obviously big losses for any international team to bear, but the point is, the players which are on view right now are likely to be the very future of England cricket for some time in the one day form. That is a worrying thing, that without two players, the backbone of the team, the fighting spirit has been ripped out. A lot of the players have been handed a big chance to make a mark for breaking into, what has up until now, portrayed as being a very exclusive club. Some young players like Denly and Rashid have been given a stage to work on, based on their promising careers at county level. Whether they are not quite ready, or whether it is the failing support around them hindering their chances, it is hard to judge.

There is an argument that the Aussies have just been too good, and the English have been outplayed. That may weigh heavily on the shoulders of some players like Bopara, Morgan, Prior and Shah who have simply not lived up to expectation despite given chance after chance. The Ashes series was a lot closer than perhaps it should have been, for had England had possessed a more ruthless streak it would have been over with a lot sooner. But with the flux of changes from the Ashes team, the Australians look a whole world more competent in the one day game than the home nation. Confidence of course does play a large part in the form of any sport, but questions from the England supporters who see their side trailing 6-0 in a series, will wonder why the selectors have persevered with a team and with individuals who simply are not in form, and are not gelling together as a unit.

The humiliation of suffering a home white-wash must be hanging over the England dressing room like the Sword of Damocles. It is too late in the series now, too close to the Champions Trophy to see if there were any other viable options available. With bowlers struggling to take wickets, and batsmen struggling to get solid willow on ball, the problems seem insurmountable at the moment for England to make any kind of impression against the world’s best. So where exactly do England go from here? This is the last chance to give the England supporters something to cheer about, although saving themselves from a 7-0 drubbing is hardly an excuse to start dancing in the aisles.

There was no spirited fight back in the sixth game, there was no building upon a previously solid batting performance. As soon as Strauss went for a duck, then the worst was feared, even without the fact that the Australians had breezed their way to a high total. A 111 run defeat was the last thing that was needed and now they face the ignominy of a seventh straight ODI defeat at the hands of the Aussies. The English team have just about a week to get their game in order ahead of their opening Champions Trophy fixture. Perhaps a change of scenery will do them good, perhaps facing some new opposition will bring back a bit of inspiration. Whatever the case, they have a thankless task ahead of them in Group B or the tournament, where they have to face Sri Lanka, New Zealand and host South Africa. Bottom place in the group looms on their current form, especially against such strong opposition and they are currently 16/1 at SportingBet for the Champions Trophy, which puts them at seventh favourite out of the eight participating teams.

Seventh ODI
Australia to win – 1/2 at SportingBet
England to win 15/8 at SkyBet

Betting Tip: Go for Australia. The other outcome seems too far fetched.

It’s the last chance saloon for the England one day team, as they go into the fourth match against the Australians, 3-0 down in the seven game series. Suddenly a series which was being looked forward too after a successful reclamation of the Ashes campaign, has withered away abysmally and is in real danger of peetering out altogether. They are looking to find any kind of form, but doing so now against an Australian cricket team with the wind in their sails is not going to be an easy task.

With just ten days to go before the team fly out to South Africa for the Champions Trophy, the selectors have given Paul Collingwood and Jimmy Anderson a rest, as they would otherwise not get any before the big tournament. There is another test series to come after the Champions Trophy, against South Africa, which would mean that the likes of Collingwood, who hasn’t missed a game for England this year, has had a very long and arduous summer.

Hopefully it will see the return of Yorkshire’s Adil Rashid to the team. The leg spinner has been cited as being one of England’s most exciting future prospects, but has only made one appearance in the ODI series against Australia so far. His omission has been somewhat of a head-scratcher, and he alone with Stuart Broad coming back into the attack after a neck injury should hopefully give the England team a boost.

Ashes and Durham bowler Graham Onions may well feature for the first time too, along with Joe Denly who has been kept out of the team by an injury sustained in practice. His presence is much needed at the top of the order, where yet again, the England team have struggled. If not for Andrew Strauss trying his level best to hold the top order together, the team would be in even worse disarray. There has still not been any  development from the likes of Bopara, Prior and Shah, and an unfair batting workload has been placed on the lower order. Time and again they have been asked to try and rescue bad situations from wickets being haplessly given away.

The bowling attack also continues to struggle to take wickets, although there have been sustained periods of constricting the Aussie batsmen, by tying them up in the crease. Captain Ricky Ponting will make his return to the famous gold, after being afforded a rest himself for the first three games. His presence hasn’t really been missed, as batsman Cameron White has notched up over 200 runs in the three matches, filling in at Ponting’s position. It’s a seriously nice problem for the Australians to have.

Match Odds:
Australia to Win – 4/7 at Stan James
England to Win – 8/5 at Boylesports

Good Double Bet:
Top Aussie Batsman – Ricky Ponting 4/1 at Totesport
Top England Batman – Andrew Strauss 10/3 at Stan James

Betting Tip: The series is on the line, and, while that should add a little mettle to the English game,  there has been no real evidence that they can honestly muster a comeback. Not even close to it. Apart from the odd bit of resilience here and there from the likes of Strauss and Luke Wright, the batting has been terrible. In stark contrast, World Champions Australia are hitting what looks like some fine form ahead of the Champions Trophy, but it’s hard to judge against an England team that are still trying to decide who bats at which position. There is nothing settled about England at the moment, and the Aussies should seal the series win.

The third One Day International cricket match is contested on Wednesday, with English pride on the line on the South Coast. The home of Hampshire CC hosts the game, which has now gained Test status and will host its first test in 2011 against Sri Lanka. Aussie fast bowler Brett Lee is happy to see that happen at the Rose Bowl, as he always enjoys playing there. That’s not something the English batsmen will want to hear ahead of the game, as they need to victory to start clawing their way back from a 2-0 series deficit.

Stuart Broad will not be appearing for England as a neck strain keeps him out of the game, and without the pace of Freddie Flintoff, the X-factor having a menace running in and bowling at the opposition could dampen the English spirits. Joe Denly will also be missing from the England team after his football training collision accident. It should all mean a recall for Adil Rashid, who was arguably one of the better all-round performers in the first ODI, but was mysteriously absent from the second match.

England are currently a very poor 6th in the rankings for ODI games, and haven’t shown a lot of progress in changing that over the past two games. All rounder Paul Collingwood stated that all was not lost, due to the fact that it was a seven game series and so therefore there was time to come back. Fellow all-rounder Luke Wright summed Collingwood’s words up, in a slightly worrying state of confidence in the English camp. Wright said that even if they lose game three there are still four more to play. Both statement read as if the team are expecting to lose the third match and banking on winning the final four. It is true that they had to win four from the get-go in order to claim the series, but leaving it as late as possible is not prudent.

Can Strauss lead the English to victory on the South Coast? Apart from the injuries, the squad stays pretty much the same, and the general line up won’t look a lot different to what it has been. It is still full of players searching for individual form and cohesion as a unit.

MATCH ODDS
Australia – 8/13 at Stan James
England – 11/8 at Totesport

SERIES ODDS
Australia – 1/8 at Boylesports
England – 6/1 at Ladbrokes

Betting Tips: Can England turn around a 2-0 series deficit. If you believe they can, then you can get a nice 6/1 on them doing so. Form however, doesn’t suggest that it is very likely, and an Australian win in the individual game markets are not going to offer up much returns as they are clear favourites. The best profit will come by playing the individual player markets, such as top bowler and top batsmen.

Some tips are:
Top Aussie Bowler: Brett Lee 11/4 at BlueSquare – for a player to come out and tell the world how much he likes a ground, means that he’s fired up, confident and can’t wait to get started.

Top England Bowler: Ryan Sidebottom 9/2 at 888Sport – Not a great deal to chose from. Onions is probably the more established, and the spinners aren’t worth too much of a look at in a one day game. Sidebottom however, at 9/2 is something of a bargain, for if he hits his groove on the day, he looks the most likely to take wickets.

Top England Batsman – Andrew Strauss 7/2 at Ladbrokes. Have to stick with Strauss, as he’s generally good for runs and has some stick ability. Bopara, Shah and Prior haven’t quite delivered the higher order goods, and Strauss is quality without question.

Top Aussie Batsman – Callum Ferguson 5/1 at SkyBet. Not a name that will jump off the page at you, but he’s in some good form, and that counts for a lot. At that price, it is a very good bet.

Some troubling news for English cricket fans, apart from the fact that the one day team still looks less than adequate, is that talisman Freddie Flintoff may not appear in England whites ever again. Recent surgery related to the problem which saw him miss some of the Ashes action, was put right, but now some new complications for the fast bowler have set in, which could possibly put an end to his career. Already having made the decision to step down from International Test duties, the injury complications could, in the worst case scenario, may mean that his retirement from all aspects of the game as a player, may be enforced upon him. There is expected to be at least 6 months of recovery for the 31 year old. Flintoff has been replaced by Graham Onions for the Champions Trophy in South Africa.

England could certainly use his presence as they have fallen behind 2-0 in the seven game ODI series against the Australian tourists. The home team are lacking any spark or indeed consistency from the batsmen, and Captain Andrew Strauss will be bitterly disappointed with the two results so far. Instead of putting the Australians under any kind of pressure, whenever the bowlers have put the chains on the Aussie batsmen, they have found a way to break free and post adequate totals. The Aussie totals, to be honest their scores have been just that, adequate, which has still been better than the English batsmen have been able to reply too. The English attack looks more suited to restricting batsmen than whipping the stumps out of the ground.

It looks increasingly worrying that without Kevin Peitersen, England will continue to struggle in the one day format. Ravi Bopara is being persisted with, and looks for all the world to have lost any confidence in himself, not surprisingly after his Ashes performances. The bowling attack without Flintoff is lacking that spark of industrious, genuine pace and menace, heightened by the fact that Stuart Broad missed the second game through injury. Whilst Broad and swing bowler Jimmy Anderson are respected in the Test format, there appears to be a shortage of crucial wicket taking abilities in the shortened game. Strauss threw six bowlers into the attack on Sunday to try and break the Australians, but to no avail.

Bresnan, Wright, Bopara, Collingwood, Sidebottom, Swann and Anderson is not going to strike a lot of fear into top order batsmen, who like to throw the bat around for quick runs when necessary. Some may well argue that it was not Australia bringing down the English, it was a case of the English bringing about the English downfall. Throwing away a position of being 74-0 to slip to losing 4 wickets for just 23 runs, summed up a large problem for the home side. England are looking for a batsman or two to post big scores and it is something which has just not happened.

The Third ODI at the Rose Bowl will need a turnaround in fortunes if England are to salvage something from the series. A series standing of 2-1 at the end of play will certainly look a lot better than 3-0. Confidence is probably a bit short in the English dressing room, but listening to Andrew Strauss’s words then it’s clear that he knows what the problem is. Scoring heavily. Posting a decent total means that the style of the English bowlers can restrict the Aussie batting. But knowing what the problem is, doesn’t mean that they know how to fix it. Bopara opening? Prior at three? Where has the much talked about strength in the middle order gone?

All being said, taking a 3-0 lead in a series is something which reads long odds when talking about two top international teams being in combat. For this reason, there is a glimmer of hope that England will find some form on the South Coast and keep the series alive.

3rd ODI
Australia to win – 4/7 at Bet365
England to win – 6/4 at 888Sport